{Recipe Post} Simple Strawberry Chia Refrigerator Jam

February 19, 2015

Never have I ever made any sort of jam in my entire life. I always assumed it was some intricate process that required time and skills I did not have. I really love strawberry jam and preserves and haven’t really found one that I could deem clean as usually there are some sort of preservatives thrown into even the ones that seem pretty legit. You can imagine how surprised I was when I realized that I could make a strawberry or really any fruit jam practically with my eyes closed!

Why is this recipe so simple? Well for starters no cooking is required at all. Often stovetop heating and boiling is required but when you add one secret (and super healthy) ingredient, then no heat is necessary. The chia seeds are the trick to this strawberry jam. If you have ever had chia seeds, yes the same seeds that we all remember from the Ch-ch-chia pets years back, you notice what happens as they become hydrated. They expand and soften in any sort of liquid. So when you use them in this recipe, they thicken the jam with just a bit of time. It’s that simple! Sound too good to be true? I thought so too!

First off, what’s so great about chia seeds, aside from those really cool plants you can grow from them? Chia seeds are all the rage right now thanks to the long list of nutritional benefits they provide. An ounce of chia seeds provides 11 grams of fiber.This can certainly help your digestive system. They are packed with Omega-3 fatty acids. These are considered the good fats and the fats your body really needs to function and perform.These tiny seeds are packed with protein and the list goes on. You can read more here. I often toss a tablespoon of chia seeds in my smoothie every morning, but thought I would try getting them in my diet somewhere else.

It only takes about 5 minutes if that to prep this jam. If you have a food processor then you are pretty much set. The hard part is waiting 3-4 hours until you can sample it! Get creative and think outside of the toast with this jam. Maybe spoon it over some greek yogurt or use it for a thumbprint cookie recipe. I ate it straight from the jar as well! Enjoy!

Strawberry Chia Refrigerator Jam

2015-02-20 03:53:45

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

4 hr

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

4 hr

Ingredients

16 oz. fresh strawberries, stems removed

juice of 1/2 of a lemon

3 T chia seeds

2-3 T 100% pure maple syrup

Instructions

In a food processor, pulse strawberries to puree. I like chunks of strawberries in my jam so I don't process them until completely smooth. Process to the desired smoothness.

Pour into a small mixing bowl and stir in lemon juice, maple syrup and chia seeds.

Transfer to a glass container with an airtight lid.

Cover and refrigerate for about 3-4 hours or until thickened to the desired consistency.

Hi Lisa! I don’t count calories so I typically don’t calculate them for the recipes. However, This should be pretty low calorie considering the ingredients. I would assume a Tbsp is somewhere from 25-35 calories. You can always plug in the ingredients to a calorie calculator to determine more exact.

I’ve been eating peanut butter sandwiches at work every day for years now. Then, a couple weeks ago, I impulse bought some blackberries that were one sale. I had no idea what to do with them so I turned them into chia jam that accompanied my peanut butter. I thought I’d be fine with going back to straight PB after that jam was gone, but alas… I liked the pairing, and I liked that I was packing more nutrients into my diet. So… I tracked down this recipe and some accompanying sale berries. Now I am back to PB&J for lunch. I over-processed it, as I like chunks in my jam, too, but I am a total n00b when it comes to the food processor… lol Oh well. I guess I’ll just have to try again another time. 😀 I went with the least amount of syrup so I could retain some of the tartness of the strawberries. Tastes delicious. Thanks so much for the recipe! I specifically chose this over others ’cause there was no cooking involved. I’ve had nothing but bad experiences with cooked strawberries lately…

So glad you love it! I could eat PB&J every day of the week too. And I’m right with you, cooking strawberries is not my forte so that’s why I went with them fresh when putting this recipe together. Thanks so much for sharing!